Pack it light, wear it right – Backpack Health
It’s that time of year again, the students are back to the books and the rest of us are getting our minds back into work. Many of us are carrying heavy loads back and forth during our day. The amount of stuff we carry around with us can impact our spine, our posture, and our overall levels of tension in the body. Keeping in mind some easy tips can prevent pain and strain.
Choosing Your Bag
The ideal type of bag you or your child can choose is one on wheels – no pack mule necessary. The second best choice would be a back pack with two straps. Once you’ve got two straps, make sure you use them. Carrying your bag or purse only on one side can lead to habitual patterns in our body, such as chronically short and tight muscles, that can lead to problems down the line.
Encourage your kids to tighten up the straps so that the back pack is actually in contact with their back, not that ever so hip “saggy pack”. A pack with a waist strap is another great way to distribute weight through your body and keep the back pack at the most ergonomic position.
Pick a bag with plenty of compartments to distribute the load evenly throughout the bag.
Packing your Pack
Carry the heaviest items closest to your body. Distribute the other items evenly throughout the various compartments. You should ideally only be carrying 15% of your body weight. This can add up fast.
For example, a 150 lb adult might carry a laptop (6lbs), lunch (2 lbs), shoes (2lbs), phone (0.5lb), workout gear (10 lbs), and a water bottle (0.5 lbs) and will have almost reached their maximum of 22lbs.
Consider a child who may carry all the same objects plus a pile of library books (6lbs) and they are way over the ideal load for a smaller frame. Use the chart below to determine the right weight for you and your child (15% of your body weight for older kids, 10% for younger).
If you weigh: Only Carry:
50lbs 5lbs
70lbs 7lbs
90lbs 14lbs
110lbs 16lbs
130lbs 19lbs
150lbs 22lbs
170lbs 25lbs
190lbs 28lbs
Lifting your Pack
The best way to get your pack on your back is from resting it on a table with the straps a little loose. Back into it, putting one strap on at a time and then tighten the straps to the appropriate tension. When lifting from the floor, keep a slight bend in your knees and keep the curve in your lower back, avoiding any rounding postures.
A Little Attention Goes a Long way
It is the little tasks in our day that add up to create our life. If we take the time to pay attention to how we lift, carry, and move we can avoid problems from developing in ourselves or our children.
Has back to school or work already caught up with you? Book online to see Dr. Robin or Dr. Jody to stop your minor back irritation from becoming a major life interruption.
